"Late Bloomers"-A thread for us late applicants

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Kateb4 said:
Wow, I'm starting to panic now! I had my app complete in Sep, and started getting secondaries right away. Well, now all of my secondaries are in, but I'm still waiting on my DO LOR! I have called his secretary, emailed, etc. I don't want to pester him, but I need that stupid letter before I'm even considered! This really sucks! I had soo hoped to have some interviews scheduled before the new year. I don't even know if I'll be complete before the end of the year now. And, to make it worse, I only took one class this semester because I just had a baby, and I didn't do very well in it (not sure of my grade yet), so that's not going to reflect well on my app.
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Wow, congratulations on your new baby! I would say that having a baby is a pretty decent explanation for why that grade may have suffered, so I wouldn't sweat it. Even if you do get questioned about it, at least you have a great answer.

As for the LOR, I would do everything in your power to get it! Even if it means being a squeaky wheel, it is imperative that you get that letter because otherwise you will stay at this stand-still. That might also mean going to the DO's office personally and giving them a friendly reminder or note or something. Or if that doesn't work, then just mail it to them. They need to understand your deadline and everything so I think it's important that you just be honest with him/her. If they really care about your success as a DO, they will hurry it up! When I first asked my Dr. letter writer if he would be willing to write one, I told him up front that it was short-notice and that I would need the letter in max two weeks. He wrote and sent it in a few days!

Good luck!
 
DancerDoc777 said:
Wow, congratulations on your new baby! I would say that having a baby is a pretty decent explanation for why that grade may have suffered, so I wouldn't sweat it. Even if you do get questioned about it, at least you have a great answer.

As for the LOR, I would do everything in your power to get it! Even if it means being a squeaky wheel, it is imperative that you get that letter because otherwise you will stay at this stand-still. That might also mean going to the DO's office personally and giving them a friendly reminder or note or something. Or if that doesn't work, then just mail it to them. They need to understand your deadline and everything so I think it's important that you just be honest with him/her. If they really care about your success as a DO, they will hurry it up! When I first asked my Dr. letter writer if he would be willing to write one, I told him up front that it was short-notice and that I would need the letter in max two weeks. He wrote and sent it in a few days!

Good luck!
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Thanks! I have been bugging him for the LOR for a few weeks now. He is a high up exec at a pharmaceutical company, so I know that he is super busy, and has been out of the country lately. I did explain the urgency back in August, but here we are in Dec and I have no letter. I'm going to keep calling (I can only get his secretary though), and hopefully it will get out asap.
 
Just received my first interview invite- to LECOM-Bradenton... woohoo! it's not too late!
 
Kateb4 said:
Thanks! I have been bugging him for the LOR for a few weeks now. He is a high up exec at a pharmaceutical company, so I know that he is super busy, and has been out of the country lately. I did explain the urgency back in August, but here we are in Dec and I have no letter. I'm going to keep calling (I can only get his secretary though), and hopefully it will get out asap.
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I would suggest you to ask for a LOR from another person whom you know is going to give it to you soon so that you can send your premedical packet in, then you can just send an "update" to your schools when this high executive gives you his recommendation.
 
Saregamapadanis said:
I would suggest you to ask for a LOR from another person whom you know is going to give it to you soon so that you can send your premedical packet in, then you can just send an "update" to your schools when this high executive gives you his recommendation.
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Yeah, I'm trying to find someone else now. The problem is I haven't been working in a few years, so I don't know any DO's that are local anymore. I'm going to start making some random calls tomorrow to ask if someone will let me shadow and give me a letter this year.
 
well, i've submitted all my secondaries. ah, i hate writing checks no. the bank account balance is not lookin too good. hahahahaha, maybe i'll become a male stripper. hahaha
 
Hi All 🙂 I have all of my secondaries submitted but am waiting to hear back for interviews. How long does it take for them to get back? They received all my secondary info in January. The two schools I am really interested in are UNECOM and VCOM. I also just recently got a position at the Red Cross and work with a Pain Management DO. Should I update the schools to say I am at the Red Cross? Is there anything I can do at this point to impress the schools to check my application again? Like send an e-mail or call them? Thanks!!
 
Would it be horrible to submit a secondary application this late in the cycle, especially since i've had it since late november?
 
Esperanza said:
Hi All 🙂 I have all of my secondaries submitted but am waiting to hear back for interviews. How long does it take for them to get back? They received all my secondary info in January. The two schools I am really interested in are UNECOM and VCOM. I also just recently got a position at the Red Cross and work with a Pain Management DO. Should I update the schools to say I am at the Red Cross? Is there anything I can do at this point to impress the schools to check my application again? Like send an e-mail or call them? Thanks!!
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You should be hearing from them soon if you haven't already. It can take up to a couple months for some schools. It really varies depending on the school though, so I can't really make any predictions of when you'd get notification of interviews. Whenever I got antsy and schools would take a while longer than others (several weeks or something) then I would just email and call the schools. The admissions departments at most schools are very willing to help you out and let you know where you stand in the process. So, the best advice I can give you is to contact the schools. I would recommend calling over email because it gets you immediate results, and usually I would never get an email response back. Hope that helps! Good luck!:luck:
 
umean2tellme said:
Would it be horrible to submit a secondary application this late in the cycle, especially since i've had it since late november?
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Unless the school had a deadline for the secondary response, then go ahead. Your secondary will still be looked at and considered in the pile with everybody else's unless it's past the secondary deadline. Check on the school's website or the aacom catalog if you're not sure. As long as your still very interested in this school, then you should submit it. Since it is very late in the game, a potential interview would also be very late in the cycle (April/May) but it would still be worth it if this school is a top choice.
 
Esperanza said:
Hi All 🙂 I have all of my secondaries submitted but am waiting to hear back for interviews. How long does it take for them to get back? They received all my secondary info in January. The two schools I am really interested in are UNECOM and VCOM. I also just recently got a position at the Red Cross and work with a Pain Management DO. Should I update the schools to say I am at the Red Cross? Is there anything I can do at this point to impress the schools to check my application again? Like send an e-mail or call them? Thanks!!
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Seriously, why did you wait to apply this late? It is very late in the game.
 
Esperanza said:
Hi All 🙂 I have all of my secondaries submitted but am waiting to hear back for interviews. How long does it take for them to get back? They received all my secondary info in January. The two schools I am really interested in are UNECOM and VCOM. I also just recently got a position at the Red Cross and work with a Pain Management DO. Should I update the schools to say I am at the Red Cross? Is there anything I can do at this point to impress the schools to check my application again? Like send an e-mail or call them? Thanks!!
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I think something's up if you haven't heard back from any schools at this point. I was complete around the same time you were (some schools even a little later), yet I got 4 invites within a couple weeks, and 2 more the following week... all but one for February and early March interviews.

Updating the schools wouldn't hurt, perhaps send LOIs too, and at the very least check with the schools to see where your applications stand (and whether or not anything happened to get lost).

And of course, all this also depends on what your stats are and how many schools you actually applied to.

Hopefully you'll be getting some news soon.
 
Do LOIs go to Dean, dept of admissions, or adcoms? Who do you address the letter too?
 
Emailed and faxed my MCAT scores from the January 25th test date and now I'm finally complete!!! I hope to hear somthing soon.

Whats this "LOI"?
 
umean2tellme said:
Do LOIs go to Dean, dept of admissions, or adcoms? Who do you address the letter too?
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LOI's (letter of intent) should be addressed to the admissions committee. (Thats who I addressed mine to). Send the letter to the admissions department and follow up to make sure they have received it and brought it to the adcoms attention.

Good Luck :luck:
 
prionsRbad said:
LOI's (letter of intent) should be addressed to the admissions committee. (Thats who I addressed mine to). Send the letter to the admissions department and follow up to make sure they have received it and brought it to the adcoms attention.

Good Luck :luck:
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What did you say in the LOI?
 
blaze1306 said:
What did you say in the LOI?
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My letter of intent (sent post interview) basically said that I was 100% sure that "X" school was my number 1 choice and that I would drop my other acceptances/interviews/applications and matriculate at "X" school if I were accepted. Obviously you should only send a letter of intent if you really mean it. Some people also send letter's of intent if they have been waitlisted.

LOI also stands for "letter of interest" and is often used to show you're interested in a school if you haven't heard from them (either post or pre secondary). For example, I got an interview offer after sending a letter of interest.
 
prionsRbad said:
My letter of intent (sent post interview) basically said that I was 100% sure that "X" school was my number 1 choice and that I would drop my other acceptances/interviews/applications and matriculate at "X" school if I were accepted. Obviously you should only send a letter of intent if you really mean it. Some people also send letter's of intent if they have been waitlisted.

LOI also stands for "letter of interest" and is often used to show you're interested in a school if you haven't heard from them (either post or pre secondary). For example, I got an interview offer after sending a letter of interest.
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I think I'll send one to my number one school. Thanks for the info.
 
Do you guys think sending a pre-secondary LOI to NYCOM this late in the game will make a difference? I really think it is necessary that I make my intentions known to the school but I don't want it to seem like a desperate plea.
 
metalmd06 said:
Do you guys think sending a pre-secondary LOI to NYCOM this late in the game will make a difference? I really think it is necessary that I make my intentions known to the school but I don't want it to seem like a desperate plea.
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Did you do an interview?
 
I agree with Prions. Go ahead and send an LOI, because it could make the difference of getting an interview or not. Make sure you tell them how much you really want to go there, state if it's your #1 choice, tell them that you can see yourself graduating in the NYCOM class of 2012 as a superior physician, etc. I would also mention the other interviews/acceptances that you have (this totally worked for me at another school) because I think they'll consider you a more serious candidate. :luck:
 
DancerDoc777 said:
You should be hearing from them soon if you haven't already. It can take up to a couple months for some schools. It really varies depending on the school though, so I can't really make any predictions of when you'd get notification of interviews. Whenever I got antsy and schools would take a while longer than others (several weeks or something) then I would just email and call the schools. The admissions departments at most schools are very willing to help you out and let you know where you stand in the process. So, the best advice I can give you is to contact the schools. I would recommend calling over email because it gets you immediate results, and usually I would never get an email response back. Hope that helps! Good luck!:luck:
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Thanks!! I think that I will give them a call and see where my apps stand.
 
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